Lora O'Brien – Irish Author & Guide

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Tag: Cycles

Irish Pagan Holidays and Pagan Festivals

Irish Pagan Holidays

Posted on October 25, 2018January 4, 2021 by Lora O'Brien

Pagan Holidays (Holy Days) worldwide are coming back to a more general use and understanding, with folk often asking questions about whether Christmas is a Pagan Holiday (it is, sort of), and observing the 8-fold Wheel of the Year. The current Neo Pagan calendar (and its primarily Wiccan holidays) is ostensibly based off the ‘Celtic…

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Yellow Flowers on May Eve at Bealtane in Ireland

Bealtaine – May Eve Magic in Ireland

Posted on April 30, 2018April 22, 2019 by Lora O'Brien

Fadó, fadó, sure there were only the 2 seasons in Ireland. Summer and Winter. Even after things moved on, for people, and for the land, these main boundaries in time loomed large every year for the Irish people. And the turning between the two was a time of magic, and mayhem… you’d never even know…

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Irish Spirituality Q&A

Irish Paganism Q&A with Lora O’Brien

Posted on March 6, 2018November 14, 2019 by Lora O'Brien

It’s been suggested a couple of times that I should get on ‘the other side of the interview’, and talk about my own Irish Spirituality, and Pagan or magical practices. So recently I queried my Community for their questions on Irish Paganism and Spirituality (or my history/practice in particular). Then I went on FB Live and…

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triple spiral in stone square

The Three Realms in Irish Tradition

Posted on January 26, 2018August 1, 2019 by Lora O'Brien

[from the archives, shared for personal history context…] Perhaps, since you already work in this realm, you could look at the three realms (land, sea and sky) from the Tain and the three worlds of the shaman? Either from scholarship or practice. Formal is by no means necessary, though some reference to sources is appreciated….

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Winter Solstice in Ireland - Bonfire Sparks

Winter Solstice Greetings from Ireland

Posted on December 21, 2017November 14, 2019 by Lora O'Brien

Being Pagan in Ireland is a little different, I think, than being Pagan anywhere else. We’re an odd lot, and we value individual strength, as long as it doesn’t upset the apple cart of family/community tradition, or give the neighbours anything bad to talk about. I’m a… well, I don’t actually have a label that…

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Winter Solstice Fire

An Irish Winter Solstice

Posted on December 19, 2017February 13, 2018 by Lora O'Brien

The Longest Night. A woman sits by her fire, wrapped in a blanket to keep out the chill, watching the flames in the quiet of a room. Her house is silent around her, family sleeping as she waits. Lights burn through the darkest hours. When the deep blackness begins to lessen, she makes her way…

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Honeysuckle and Blackthorn Twist

Samhain with the Morrigan

Posted on October 31, 2017September 24, 2018 by Lora O'Brien

I observe Samhain from dark moon to dark moon. When I first went ‘public’ with this over 3 years ago, it seemed a novel idea to many folks, and maybe a little bit… extreme or some shit? But it’s always made sense to me, for a few reasons: 31st October as modern Samhain/Halloween doesn’t correlate with…

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Lora Black Bob

An Interview with Lora O’Brien

Posted on October 30, 2017February 13, 2018 by Lora O'Brien

Samhain Interview with Lora O’Brien First Contact Hi Lora, I hope you’re keeping well. My name is Lisa [xxxxx] and I’m a freelance journalist for the Irish [xxxxx]. I am currently working on a Halloween special for the newspaper and I would like to include a feature on modern Irish women who practice witchcraft. I…

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Irish Bealtaine Broom Bush

Irish Bealtaine Traditions

Posted on April 30, 2017April 22, 2019 by Lora O'Brien

May Bush, May Flowers, May Pole and May Bough are all traditions still to be found scattered through the Irish countryside come Bealtaine, 30th April (May Eve) and 1st May (May Day). You might call it Beltine, Beltane, Beltaine, or any other variation of the word, but in Ireland it’s Bealtaine, as that is still…

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